The impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is widespread and will likely shape business and consumer behavior for months to come. While the humanitarian and safety-related aspects of this outbreak are top of mind globally, it’s unquestionable that social distancing, quarantining, and staying home will have a significant effect on media consumption, which could rise to 60%, according to recent research from Nielsen’s U.S. media team.
The implications of today’s reality for the media industry are straightforward: Content creators, networks, studios, media agencies, advertisers, and brands have significantly more opportunity to engage with consumers simply because of the clear correlation between time at home and media consumption. So for networks, for example, the increased TV time might warrant an adjustment to programming schedules—or programming itself. And from an advertising perspective, brands and agencies will likely need to both adjust which products are being marketed, as well as the tone in which they’re delivering their messages.
As the world adjusts to this new reality, Nielsen Media recently examined how COVID-19 has affected media consumption across North Asia, which includes many of the countries, regions, and territories that were first affected by the COVID-19 outbreak: Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. This region isn’t the only one affected, but it was one of the first to feel the effects of social distancing and quarantining. We hope the insights from the early days of the global pandemic can help businesses anticipate and respond to market needs and consumer behavior amid times of significant disruption.
